


and this will be the one moment that matter at all

by afrocurl



Category: X-Men (Alternate Timeline Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Canon Jewish Character, Erik has Issues, F/M, Fix-It, Hurt/Comfort, Rites of Passage
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-04
Updated: 2016-12-04
Packaged: 2018-09-02 11:13:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,773
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8665402
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/afrocurl/pseuds/afrocurl
Summary: A clearing, the life of his family in peril. One moment can create something new; something better. It takes near death for Erik to discover that moments matter at all.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Unforgotten](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Unforgotten/gifts).



> Happy Secret Mutant **Unforgotten**! I hope this is what you had in mind for this prompt, though it could be thousands of words longer.

The woods were loud with birds chirping, deer running towards the crowd, any animal Nina could summon to her aid; Erik found he cared not to hear what words the police were saying now so long as he could protect Magda and Nina. Erik wanted to congratulate Nina for how well she had used her mutation to his aid, but the police were eyeing all the animals as if they were satellites falling from the sky. Chaos reigned. It nearly reminded Erik of the time he finally used his power for as much destruction as possible in the camps, metal flying everywhere.

Too many birds were distracting all the men intent on taking Erik away, his words had done nothing to them. They were blinded by the idea of his destructive abilities, by his power, by his menace.

They wanted him dead, or they wanted him gone. It was as simple as that. Men would always fear what they chose not to understand; to all of these men he was no longer Henryk but a mutant who could kill them with a single thought. 

Arrows and bows were all they brought because they knew Erik had no control over wood and flint. Men who had thought him no different than them now knew he was an other. History was repeating itself for him: Erik still an other who should be killed. 

Their words were truly nothing new, but that they were focusing all of their weapons on Magda and Nina as he had walked to them was odd. Were they going to kill his family simply because of their association? Or was Nina’s power another reason for their fear? Erik tried to act and save their lives, but it was useless. One arrow flew into the air, it met flesh; Erik saw the arrow but could not stop it. Had he let his other family down like he had his Mama?

Erik was surrounded by the guards, but he only saw a deer between Nina and Magda, and the police. 

What would all those police do now that they had not kept him from the last of his humanity? Would they flee and return with touches to light his home ablaze? What else could they do to a man who controlled metal and magnetic fields?

Did it matter, really? His wife and daughter were saved. 

Nina’s mutation saved her. But it had yet to save them all. The animals all quieted down as if they were eased with Nina no longer afraid. It was utterly silent as the group all waited for someone to act.

Deep in his soul, Erik felt pain and anger he had not felt in forty years since his parents were ripped from him. These men had wanted to kill his wife and child.

They would not survive the night.

Erik made very few promises, but this one he meant to keep.

-

Nina cried as she looked after her fallen friend, blood oozing from its flesh. She stayed in the clearing, sitting vigil with all of the birds and other animals who had come to help her, but Erik felt he should leave her alone to grieve. The eerie silence of before returned, save for the occasional crunch of wood under his feet.

Walking back to their home felt like it took hours rather than minutes. 

Magda had stayed behind to watch, Erik knew, but no sooner had he walked into the small living room did he feel Magda’s ring come into focus. After the battle, he felt all of the small metal items on his wife and daughter as if they were newly forged and newly fit to their bodies.

She looked shaken and fatigued, just as Erik felt, but there was something itching under his skin that forced him to speak.

“What should we do?”

He had no answer, and he guessed that Magda had none either, but the question needed to be asked.

They needed a plan. This home was no longer safe; his new identity no longer pure. Escape was all they could do, but he had yet to figure out where or how.

“Now, we celebrate,” Magda said, her eyes looking over Erik’s body as if he were a god to be worshipped. He felt the opposite; ugly, lying and full of deceit.

Perhaps that was exactly what they needed, though. His hand reached out to bring Magda closer to him before their lips met in frantic kisses, bodily passion overtaking his clouded mental landscape.

Kisses turned into hands searching for something to hold onto; something to confirm that they were both alive. 

-

Alive they were, Erik knew. Their lives had been focused on Nina more of late as their daughter’s powers dominated their lives, sex between them something quick and quiet as Nina slept when they felt awake enough to not collapse into the thin mattress. They had yet to take their time in months, if not a year.

Today, however, Nina had yet to move from the clearing - her necklace still and unmoving - and Erik wanted to feel. Magda did too. His hands were careful to trace Magda’s body as if it was their first time together; hers did the same, though she also grabbed at his shirt as if it offended her.

He tried to move them both towards their room, but Magda stalled. His mouth broke contact with her skin for the first time since they had started. Odd to feel alone without her skin against his when he had felt alive and awake just a moment ago. She kissed him again, this time against his stubble, and he carded his hand through her hair.

“Here,” she whispered between kisses to his neck. Magda had yet to stop touching him, and it grounded him for the first time all day long. He felt as if he was oscillating between hope and despair until now.

It had been her touches that had woken Erik from the fog in the wake of Washington. It was always her touches that made him feel alive.

“What if--” he started to say before Magda’s lips caught his. They stayed together, kissing, touching until there was only so much air left in Erik’s lungs.

He pulled away, taking in as much air as possible before he looked at Magda once again. She was a sight: dress skipping off her shoulder, sweater barely hanging on by her wrists.

“How?” he asked. In answer, Magda simply pulled the sweater off and hiked up her skirt before falling onto the couch, legs spread in silent invitation. 

He pulled at his belt with his power before doing the same with his button and zipper, feeling more like a man of half his age.

“Leave the pants on,” Magda said just before he was ready to pull off the jeans and boxers.

“But,” he started.

“But nothing, dear. I want to feel this. I want to feel you.” Her breath was ragged, her breasts rising and falling in an uneven rhythm. That the sight of him could turn her on after all that they had been through today amazed him and made him grateful that someone had seen in him some goodness.

He could say nothing else to her request, and so he came to stand near her, waiting for her to spread her legs further for him to join her.

Once he could fit his frame between her legs, lust took over, his body acting on instinct rather than pleasure.

Magda cared not at all if she was ill-prepared if her movements and her moans were an indication. Erik felt the same, feeling his way into her body.

-

The room smelled of sex, yet Erik stayed with his arms wrapped around Magda as if they were both skinny enough to find the couch comfortable.

Tentatively, Erik felt for the telltale sign of Nina approaching, but still found her in the woods.

“She’s still out there,” he said to Magda, knowing that they should look out for her. They had to make a plan, still, but Erik simply nestled closer to his wife, letting their shared warmth fill the room. “But we need to leave. Someone will notice all of those policemen have yet to return."

“We will,” Magda said simply. “A plan will present itself.” Magda always had too much faith in the world.

Perhaps that was why she was so good for him.

-

Magda’s thinking that a plan would present itself happened as if by magic. If magic were one Charles Xavier.

_Erik. I felt your daughter’s power earlier. If you need a place for her - for all of you - let me know. We’ll get you as soon as possible._

Erik wanted to turn away the overture, but he knew that Nina would not be safe here. He would not be safe here soon enough.

“Magda, one of the mutants I knew before can offer us sanctuary. Should we take it?” He knew his voice wavered, but he found that right now he could not say Charles’ name aloud, could not remember the last time he saw Charles.

“How can someone offer us a place when there’s only us in the woods?” She turned to face him, and it pained Erik to know that she would soon see the conflicted grimace.

“It’s Charles - the telepath - I told you of. He felt Nina’s power when she saved you both. He can help her with her gift.”

“Will he protect her? Us?”

“If he has reached out, then yes, he will.”

“Then I think we should.” She started to move from where she lay, looking for her sweater and putting herself back in order. “I’ll tell Nina.”

“And I’ll tell Charles.” He watched her leave the small living room for the woods. 

_We’ll be glad to leave Poland, Charles. Sooner would be better than later._

_Of course, Erik. We’ll take the time to talk when you arrive._

Erik felt a lump in his throat at discussing the last ten years with Charles. But, to protect his family, Erik would do anything.

-

It required effort, still, to get Nina to leave the clearing. She had made a small grave with the other animals for that deer, saying, “He was always so nice,” as she remembered him.

“There will be lots of new animals for you to get to meet in our new home. I promise.” Erik was sure that Charles’ property had myriad animals nearby and that he could build Nina some space off the main grounds for her to feel safe with them.

“But what about my friends?” She started to cry again at the thought of leaving this group behind.

“These friends will miss you, but they’ll have lives without you.” Magda’s voice was calmer than Erik imagined his would be, though he knew Magda knew pain like his.

“But--” Nina started.

“We have to go, sweetheart. We won’t be able to take them. If we don’t leave, men like before will be back for Papa.”

Erik nodded at his wife’s words and that seemed to mollify Nina. She sniffed, but tried to stop her crying.

“Good girl. My friend has a school so you’ll have new kids to play with.” They had kept her away from most other children in the village once she started to talk to the animals, but with the certainly wide range of students, Erik felt that it was time to reintroduce Nina to other children.

“And animals?” she asked, though her voice was no louder than a whisper.

“Animals too.” Erik nodded. “We have a bag with all your favorite things all ready to go, and my friends will be here soon. Are you ready?”

Nina looked down at the ground but then met Erik’s eyes and nodded quickly.

It was just a matter of time before Charles’ team came to collect them all.

-

Charles was not there to greet Erik and his family in Poland, but Mystique was. She looked as she had in the 60s, blonde hair, blue eyes, though of course now she looked as if she wanted to live in the 80s with skin tight jeans and a leather jacket.

“We’ve got a few minutes before the M-O-B comes,” she said, matter of fact, as she looked around the clearing.

With a nod, Erik went to take Nina’s hand as they walked towards the Blackbird, Magda tightly holding onto Nina’s other hand.

“It’s so big, Papa,” Nina said, looking curiously at the gangplank.

“It is, but I promise it’s safe. I traveled in this well before I met Mama.”

At that Nina smiled, and Erik walked his family into a new life.

-

Erik had not looked upon Charles’ mansion in far too long, but as it had once been a safe haven, it was again.

The woods were wide around the building, but where there had only been some grass to create distance between the house and any other building nearby, there were now basketball courts, a pool and very large looking water fountain.

“I see that Charles has made improvements,” Erik said to Raven as they touched down.

“You have no idea,” was all she said in reply. He rather felt that she was truly lost to his influence after a short time as her leader, friend and confidant. 

“Nina, did you see all those woods? You’ll find plenty of friends there, I’m sure.”

“I did Papa, but what about everyone else?”

“Everyone else is special like you too. You’ll meet other children who are able to do incredible things. See Raven here, she can change her appearance.” He nodded to Raven, who rippled into her blue form and then quickly into Erik.

“Oooh,” Nina said, and then she seemed mollified by the idea of new people.

“And what will I do?” Magda asked.

Erik had no answer, since he knew rather little of the school’s day to day functions, but he figured that there would be a place for Magda. She was not just a housewife, and he would be sure that Charles knew that before he and Magda stayed for good.

Nina, she needed to be here.

“We’ll find out once we see Charles. I know he’ll find a place for you.”

He knew Charles had yet to change his ways about mutants and humans, but Erik’s own policies were more complicated than they had been ten years ago. If Charles saw Erik with a human wife, he would never turn them both away.

Erik tried to shake his mind of all these desperate thoughts. He felt better about being away from Poland, but now that he was just above Charles’ school, his old doubts about all his differences with Charles came rushing back.

 _We forgive when we can,_ came Charles’ mental voice.

_Old friend, I see you still look when you’re not invited._

_You invited me when you left Washington ten years ago. I just respected your privacy too much. You have nothing to fear, however. I think we can find room for you and Magda within the staff._

Erik simply smiled and felt another flicker of hope at the prospect.

-

**Five Years Later**

Nina stood outside in a makeshift temple, the arc encased in plastic and all of the animals from around the School surrounding her. 

Erik sat near her, listening to the words of their faith falling from her lips as she became a woman in the eye of their community. Magda, ever present, was next to him, dressed in a chic dress to compliment his own suit.

The whole school was in lawn chairs facing them, the May sun shining on them all. Everyone looked solemn but curious, eyes following Nina as she followed the words of the Torah.

Jean, freshly graduated from college, sat near to Charles, looking as proud of Nina and Erik was. That Jean had been the one to befriend Nina first was one of those shocks that still took Erik’s breath. Peter, even though he should have been next to Erik, sat just behind Jean, looking like a proud older brother. 

There had been difficult times as teachers to these students, but as he looked at them all being polite and courteous, it told him that his fears when they landed had been baseless.

He had always had a home in this place, even if he rejected it once before.

Now he simply reveled in how ingrained into The Xavier School for Gifted Youngsters his whole family had become.

He had an extended family who looked out for him, his wife and his daughter. He had a community.

**Author's Note:**

> {redacted} helped with all the little things.
> 
> Title from OK Go's "The One Moment".


End file.
